Ocular Risk Factors

AMD Explained

If I have drusen or pigmentary changes at the macula in my eye, will they affect my vision?

Not necessarily. The early stages of AMD, which include development of drusen and/or pigmentary changes, are "silent", in that there are no symptoms that the patient notices. However, these signs are precursors to late-stage, visually consequential AMD, and can be spotted by an eyecare professional using specialised equipment. As with most conditions, the earlier AMD is identified, the easier it is to take preventative action.

How can I find out my macular pigment levels?

Macular pigment can be measured by an eyecare professional using a macular pigment measuring device. It is measured in log units, usually ranging from 0.0 to 1.0. Macular pigment naturally decreases with age as a result of unavoidable oxidative stress.

There are known and proven ocular (eye-related) risk factors for AMD.

Ocular Risk Factors

Risk factors for visually consequential AMD can be described as ocular and non-ocular. These risk factors are known and established according to the scientific literature.

Visually consequential AMD in one eye

Visually consequential AMD in one eye is a major risk factor for developing visually consequential AMD in the other eye.

Soft drusen

Soft drusen are yellow or white deposits in the macular area, visible to an eyecare professional using specialised equipment. Soft drusen are known to represent risk for visually consequential AMD.

Pigmentary changes at the macula

Pigmentary changes at the macula are known to represent significant risk for visually consequential AMD. Hyper-pigmentary changes refer to areas of pigment clumping, and hypo-pigmentary changes refer to areas of depigmentation, within the macula.

Macular pigment

Macular pigment is a yellow pigment found at the macula, composed of the dietary carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin. There is a growing body of evidence that macular pigment, which is entirely of dietary origin, may play a role in the prevention, or delay in the onset or progression, of visually consequential AMD. Recent research has shown that people at increased risk of developing visually consequential AMD have low levels of this pigment even before the disease occurs. Macular pigment can be supplemented with nutritional dietary supplements.

Hypermetropia

Hypermetropia, known as long-sightedness, is a suggested risk factor for visually consequential AMD.